1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable terminal that is provided with a detachable cover configured to open/close a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term “portable terminal” denotes a device that allows a user who is carrying the portable terminal to communicate with another user or to access a desired service provided by a service provider through a mobile communication base station. Along with the development of mobile communication technologies and the information communication industry, the services accessible through portable terminals have quickly expanded. For example, the early mobile communication services were limited to the calling of a counterpart, a voice communication, a short message transmission, etc. However, the services have been gradually expanded to multimedia services such as moving images, entertainment services such as games, banking services such as mobile banking, etc. Also, the number of users of portable terminals has also expanded and now includes both youth and elderly people.
Recently, multimedia services provided through portable terminals have been strengthened, and portable terminals such as a smart phones or tablet Personal Computers (PCs) that come close to a conventional personal computer in function have been commercialized. Accordingly, an environment has been developed in which a person is capable of enjoying a moving image or the Internet and further conducting business using a smart phone or a tablet PC. In addition, as display devices using a touch screen replace keyboards configured by physical switches, portable terminals are provided with an expanded display device while also being miniaturized. Through this, the portable terminals have become satisfactory both in usability and portability. As the touch screen is implemented on a screen, a user may activate and use the keyboard function only when it is desired.
Expensive portable terminals such as smart phones and tablet PCs are provided with and protected by a separate protection cover. That is, an accessory such as a separate cover is used to prevent damage in appearance or destruction caused by scratches, impact or the like during ordinary usage.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portable terminal in a state where a protection cover is coupled to the portable terminal according to the related art. FIG. 2 is a side view of the portable terminal illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the related art. FIG. 3 is a side view of the portable terminal illustrated in FIG. 1 in a state where the protection cover is coupled to the portable terminal according to the related art.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a flat or bar-type portable terminal 10 is used in a state where a separate protection cover 21 is coupled to the portable terminal 10. Although not illustrated, a display device may be mounted on the front surface of the terminal 10. Some products may be provided with an illumination sensor, a camera module or the like adjacent to the display device. In addition, connection holes 13 are provided on a side surface 11 so as to connect the terminal 10 with an external device such as an earphone or a computer or to mount a storage medium, and a power key or a volume key is also provided on the side surface 11 or another side surface of the terminal 10. An additional camera module for photographing a subject may be disposed on the rear surface of the terminal 10.
Typically, the protection cover 21 is configured to be bound to the side surface 11 or an edge of the front surface of the terminal 10 and to enclose the rear surface of the terminal 10. Such a protection cover 21 may be formed of various materials, for example, a flexible material such as a silicon, urethane, or leather, or a rigid material such as a synthetic material. In order to form a strong joint structure with the terminal while absorbing impact, the protection cover 21 may be fabricated by combining a frame formed of a synthetic material and a flexible material.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the protection cover 21 is coupled to enclose the rear surface and a part of the side surfaces of the terminal 10, and is provided with a photographing opening 23 positioned on the rear surface of the terminal 10 so as to provide a photographing path of the camera module installed in the rear surface of the terminal 10. In addition, even if the protection cover 21 is coupled to enclose the side surfaces 11 of terminal 10, it is desirable that the protection cover 21 is fabricated in a shape that opens the connection hole 13.
Meanwhile, a protection cover that encloses the rear surface, side surfaces and front surfaces of the terminal is also used. In general, a terminal such as a tablet PC that is provided with a large screen while being portable is provided a touch screen in a high performance display device and thus, it is required to protect the display device, in particular the surface of a display window. Accordingly, users occasionally purchase a protection cover that is additionally provided with a cover element for opening/closing the front surface of the terminal while being bound to the terminal to enclose the rear surface and side surfaces of the terminal.
However, the protection cover configured to enclose the rear surface and the front surface of the terminal has a disadvantage in that it increases the entire thickness and the weight of the terminal when carrying the terminal. Moreover, because such a protection cover is configured to enclose the rear surface of the terminal, there is a problem in that the protection cover prevents the terminal from exhibiting its distinctiveness in relation to any other product.
In a case of a terminal provided with a detachable battery cover, the user may implement a structure formed by connecting a cover element to the detachable battery cover, and may selectively use a battery cover coupled with the cover element and a battery cover not coupled with the cover element as desired.
Whereas, in a case of a terminal having a battery built in the inside of the terminal so that the user cannot replace the battery with another battery, it is inevitable to use a protection cover configured to enclose the rear surface of the terminal even if the user uses the protection cover only for protecting the display device. That is, when a flat or bar-type terminal is a battery built-in type, it is inevitable to use a structure that covers the rear surface of the terminal in order to secure a binding structure between the terminal and the protection cover although the user desires to use a protection cover only for protecting the display device.
Therefore, a need exists for a portable terminal that is provided with a protection cover that reveals an external appearance design so as to secure distinctiveness as compared to other products.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.